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Boxer Dogs And Heat Stress: Protect Your Dog This Summer

Summer is a fantastic time of year for lifting the mood and making life that little bit more pleasant because the sun is shining. However, it may not be a very good time of year for your Boxer. Boxer dogs and heat stress unfortunately go together quite well in the summer because the heat tends to overcome Boxers more than most other breeds of dog. It is one of their many health concerns that owners need to be vigilant of. As such, the rest of this article will provide you with more information about Boxer dogs and heat stress so that you can understand what it is and protect your dog from it as far as possible.

What Is Heat Stroke?

Heat stress, or heat stroke, is effectively the point at which your dog becomes too hot. It can occur in or out of direct sunlight and thus can cause owners and dogs alike some distress. Boxer dogs and heat stress go together better than most as a direct result of the fact that the breed is used to cooler weather and so does not fare well in the sun. The length of the Boxer coat does nothing to help either because longer coats are designed to control body temperature. Shorter coats, as featured on the Boxer, are nowhere near as efficient. Furthermore, the short snouts that Boxers have make them unable to breathe properly and much more difficult to cool down too.

Boxer dogs and heat stress, when combined, are easy to spot. Your dog will begin to pant heavily, maybe even struggling or breath. He or she will also begin to slobber excessively when Boxer dogs and heat stress first come together with the slobber drying up as your dog becomes more dehydrated. He or she will drink more, seem lethargic and may even experience shivers as the body tries to cool itself down. None of this is good for your dog but there are things that you can do to solve the problem or even prevent Boxer dogs and heat stress meeting in the first place.

There are ways and means to make sure that Boxer dogs and heat stress do not come together. Some of them are listed below for you. Not all will apply to you but make sure that you take note of those that do or else you may find that Boxer dogs and heat stress cause you problems this summer:

·If your Boxer dogs and heat stress have already met then use cool water to get his or her temperature down. You can do this with an outdoor child’s pool, hose or even just a soaking wet towel. Do not use ice cold water as that could send your dog into shock.

·Make sure that you keep your Boxer dog cool by using air conditioning or fans appropriately. This can also be used to solve the problem if it arises. Keeping curtains closed to keep the sun out of your home when your Boxer is left unattended is also a good idea.

·Never leave your dog in a car when it is warm, whether you leave the window slightly open or not. Boxer dogs and heat stress is those conditions could be fatal. Avoiding the car completely when it is warm is also a good idea.

·Always make sure that your dog has access to fresh water when it is warm as this will help to prevent heat stroke.